New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Express’— a state-of-the-art tourist train— on Wednesday from New Delhi’s Safdarjung railway station. It has been designed exclusively for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who are in the age group of 45 and 65. It has been aimed at connecting the diaspora to their cultural and spiritual roots.
The train will start its maiden journey on January 9. This date marks the anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s return from South Africa to India in 1915. It will run for a duration of three weeks. It will cover key tourist and pilgrimage sites across India, including Ayodhya, Patna, Gaya, Varanasi, Mahabalipuram, Rameswaram, Madurai, Kochi, Goa, Ekta Nagar (Kevadia), Ajmer, Pushkar, and Agra.
It can accommodate 156 passengers. It is being launched under the Ministry of External Affairs’ Pravasi Teerth Darshan Yojana (PTDY) in association with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 18th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention in Bhubaneswar, a flagship event of the Government of India. It offers a key platform to connect and engage with the Indian diaspora. It will be held from Jan 8 to 10.
